JPH03101972A - Ink-jet unit and ink-jet cartridge and ink-jet device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To supply ink excellently by forming an ink conduit having cantilever structure in which one end is shaped in a free end pressure-welded to an ink- path forming member and the other end in a fixed end fixed as the origin of pressure welding. CONSTITUTION:An ink conduit 1600 and an ink supply pipe 2200 are attached to an ink supply member 600 and molded integrally, resilient force by the deflection of the ink conduit 1600 having rigidity works to the section of the ink port 1500 of a top plate 400, and one end of the ink conduit 1600 is fast stuck to the section of the ink port 1500. Consequently, the ink conduit has cantilever structure in which one end is formed in a free end pressure-welded to an ink- path forming member and the other end in a fixed end fastened to the ink supply member 600, thus fast sticking the ink conduit and the top plate to a heater board 100 by the deformation of the ink conduit. Accordingly, leakage from these joining sections of ink and the intrusion of air can be prevented. A filter 700 is mounted so as not to be faced to the outside from the end face of an ink introducing port 600a, thus obviating the mixing of dust, etc.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an inkjet unit and an inkjet cartridge that eject ink, and an inkjet device equipped with these.

[Background technology]

Conventionally, flexible ink supply tubes made of resin, for example, have often been used to supply ink from an ink supply source to an inkjet head.

[Problem that the invention is trying to solve]

However, this flexible ink supply tube has the following problems.

(1) It is difficult to create a tube that can be bent and formed and has tight dimensional tolerances.

(2) The price of processed tube products is high. (3) Small tubes lack rigidity, making automatic assembly difficult.

In particular, flexible ink supply tubes have been unsuitable for disposer pull-type inkjet heads that are manufactured in large quantities at low cost.

On the other hand, the ink introduction port of the ink supply path for supplying ink from the ink tank to the inkjet head has a structure in which a filter is attached by welding or adhesive to prevent the inflow of dust. However, with such a head, it is difficult to align the filter when attaching it to the ink supply port, and even if there is no misalignment, if one end of the filter is exposed, it may peel off due to repeated attachment and detachment from the ink tank. This caused problems such as debris flowing in and clogging the orifice, resulting in non-discharge. The present invention has been proposed in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and can provide an inkjet unit with excellent reliability and excellent ink supply.

Further, it is possible to provide an inkjet cartridge that integrally includes an inkjet unit and an ink tank with excellent reliability.

Furthermore, it is possible to provide an inkjet device with excellent recording characteristics. [Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention has been proposed to achieve the above-mentioned object, and includes a base body and an ink path forming member that are connected to an ejection port for ejecting ink. An ink passage is formed, and ink is supplied to the liquid passage by an ink conduit via an opening at one end of the ink conduit and an ink receptacle provided in the ink passage forming member, and the ink conduit is a free end that is pressed into contact with the ink path forming member, and the other end is a fixed end that is fixed as a base point for the pressure contact, and has a cantilever structure.

Further, an ink path communicating with an ejection port for ejecting ink is formed by joining the base body and an ink path forming member, and an ink path is connected to an opening at one end of the ink path and the ink path by an ink conduit. Ink is supplied through an ink receptacle provided in the forming member, and the ink conduit has a cantilever structure in which one end is pressed against the ink path forming member and the other end is fixed as a base point of the pressure contact. The ink conduit has an ink tank with which the other end communicates.

Furthermore, an ink path communicating with an ejection port for ejecting ink is formed by joining the base body and an ink path forming member, and an ink conduit connects an opening at one end of the ink conduit to the ink path. Ink is supplied through an ink receptacle provided in the forming member, and the ink conduit has a cantilever structure in which one end is pressed against the ink path forming member and the other end is fixed as a base point of the pressure contact. The inkjet cartridge is characterized by comprising an inkjet cartridge having an ink tank with which the other end of the ink conduit communicates, and a carriage for mounting the inkjet cartridge.

Note that a filter is provided at the ink introduction port of the ink supply path for supplying ink from the ink tank to the inkjet head to prevent part of the surface from being exposed inside the end of the ink supply path. [Example] Figures 2 to 6 show preferred inkjet units IJU, inkjet heads IJH, ink tanks IT, inkjet cartridges IJC, and inkjet recording apparatus main bodies IJRA to which the present invention is implemented or applied.
, carriage HC and their relationship. The configuration of each part will be explained below using these drawings.

As can be seen from the perspective view in Fig. 3, the inkjet cartridge IJC in this example has a large ink storage ratio, and the tip of the inkjet unit IJU protrudes slightly from the front surface of the ink tank IT. It has a shape. This inkjet cartridge IJC is fixedly supported by a carriage HC (FIG. 5) mounted on the main body IJRA of the inkjet recording apparatus by positioning means and electrical contacts described later, and is detachable from the carriage HC. 2 to 6 of this example have a configuration to which a number of new technologies that were used at the stage of establishment of the present invention are applied, so these configurations will be simplified. While explaining,
I will explain the whole thing.

(i) Inkjet unit IJU configuration description The inkjet unit IJU is a bubble jet unit that performs recording using an electrothermal converter that generates thermal energy to cause film boiling in ink in response to electrical signals. be.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 100 is composed of electrothermal converters (discharge heaters) arranged in a plurality of rows on a St substrate, and electrical wiring such as AA for supplying electric power to the electrothermal converters (discharge heaters), which are formed by film-forming technology. It's a heater board.

200 is a wiring board for the heater board 100;
Wiring corresponding to the wiring of the heater board 100 (for example, connected by wire bonding) and a pad 201 located at the end of this wiring and receiving electrical signals from the main device.
It has

1300 is a grooved top plate provided with partition walls for dividing a plurality of ink channels and a common liquid chamber for storing ink to supply ink to each ink channel, and is supplied from an ink tank IT. An ink receiving port 1500 for receiving ink and introducing it into the above-mentioned common liquid chamber, and an orifice plate 400 having a plurality of ejection ports corresponding to each ink flow path are integrally molded. Although polysulfone is preferable as the integrally molded material, other resin materials for molding may also be used.

Reference numeral 300 denotes a support made of metal, for example, which supports the back surface of the wiring board 200 on a flat surface, and serves as a bottom plate of the inkjet unit. Reference numeral 500 denotes a pressing spring, which has an M-shape and presses the common liquid chamber with light pressure at the center of the M-shape, and uses a front sag 501 to concentrate linear pressure on a part of the liquid path, preferably in the area near the discharge port. Press.

The foot of the spring that presses the heater board 100 and the top plate 1 300 passes through the hole 3121 of the support 300 and presses the support 300.
The heater board 100 and the top plate 1300 are crimped and fixed by the concentrated biasing force of the pressing spring 500 and its front sagging portion 501 by engaging the back side of the board 1300 and the top plate 1300. do. The support body 300 also has positioning holes 312, 1900 and 2000 that engage with the two positioning protrusions 1012 of the ink tank IT and the protrusions 1800 and 1801 for positioning and heat-sealing retention, as well as the carriage of the apparatus main body IJRA. It has protrusions 2500 and 2600 for positioning with respect to the HC on the back side. In addition, the support 300 also has a hole 320 that allows an ink supply pipe 2200 (described later) to pass therethrough, which allows ink to be supplied from an ink tank. The wiring board 200 is attached to the support body 300 by adhering it with an adhesive or the like.

Note that the recesses 2400 and 2400 of the support body 300 are provided near the positioning protrusions 2500 and 2600, respectively, so that the assembled inkjet cartridge IJ
C (Fig. 3), the three sides around it are parallel grooves 300.
At the extension point of the head tip region formed by a plurality of projections 2500.2, dust and ink are
It is located so that it does not reach 600. This parallel groove 3000 is formed. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the lid member 800 forms the outer wall of the inkjet cartridge IJC, and together with the ink tank forms a space in which the inkjet unit IJtJ is accommodated.

In addition, the ink supply member 600 in which the parallel grooves 3001 are formed has an ink conduit 1600 continuous to the ink supply pipe 2200 described above formed as a cantilever with the supply pipe 2200 side fixed, so that the fixed side of the ink conduit and the ink Sealing pin 602 to ensure capillary action with supply pipe 2200
is inserted. Note that 601 is a packing that seals the connection between the ink tank IT and the supply pipe 2200, and 700 is a filter provided at the tank side end of the supply pipe. Since this ink supply member 600 is molded, it is not only inexpensive and has high positional accuracy, eliminating deterioration in precision during manufacturing, but also allows the above-mentioned conduit 1600 to be used during mass production due to the cantilevered conduit 1600. The state of pressure contact with the ink receptacle 1500 can be stabilized. In this example, by simply pouring the sealing adhesive from the ink supply member side under this pressure-contact state, a more complete communication state can be reliably obtained. Note that the ink supply member 600 is fixed to the support body 300 through the hole 1901.1 of the support body 300.
This can easily be done by projecting the backside bottle (not shown) of the ink supply member 600 to 902 through the holes 1901 and 1902 of the support 300, and heat-sealing the protruding portion to the backside of the support 300. be exposed. Note that this slight protruding area of the heat-sealed back surface is located in the indentation (
(not shown), the positioning surface of the unit IJU can be accurately obtained.

(ii) Ink tank ITtR Description The ink tank is constructed by inserting the cartridge main body 1000, the ink absorber 900, and the ink absorber 900 from the side of the cartridge main body 1000 opposite to the unit IJU mounting surface. It is composed of a lid member l100 for sealing.

Reference numeral 900 denotes an absorber for impregnating ink, and is disposed within the cartridge body 1000.

1 200 is a supply port for supplying ink to the unit IJU made up of the above-mentioned parts 100 to 600, and ink is supplied from the supply port 1200 in a process before placing the unit in the portion 1010 of the cartridge body 1000. It is also an injection port for impregnating the absorber 900 with ink.

In this example, the parts that can supply ink are the atmospheric transport port and this supply port, but the ribs 2300 in the main body 1000 and the lid member 1100 are used to ensure good ink supply from the ink absorber. The air existing area in the tank formed by the ribs 2500 and 2400 is connected to the air transport port 14.
Since the ink supply port 1200 is formed continuously from the 01 side over the farthest corner area, relatively good and uniform ink supply to the absorber can be achieved from the supply port 1200 side. It is important to be informed. This method is extremely effective in practice. This rib 1 000
The ink tank main body 1000 has four ribs parallel to the carriage movement direction on the rear surface to prevent the absorber from coming into close contact with the rear surface. Also, partial rib 24
00 and 2500 are similarly provided on the inner surface of the lid member 1100 on a corresponding extension to the rib 1000, but unlike the rib iooo, it is in a divided state and the space in which air exists is more concentrated than the former. It is increasing. Note that the partial ribs 2500 and 2400 are distributed over a surface that is less than half of the total area of the lid member 1000. These ribs made it possible to more stably guide the ink in the area of the farthest corner from the tank supply port 1200 of the ink absorber to the supply 01200 side by capillary force. 140
Reference numeral 1 denotes an air vent provided in the lid member to communicate the inside of the cartridge with the atmosphere. 1400 is atmospheric transportation port 140
This is a liquid-repellent material disposed inside the air outlet 1 400 to prevent ink from leaking from the atmospheric air port 1 400. The ink storage space of the ink tank IT described above has a rectangular shape with its long sides on the sides, so the arrangement of the ribs described above is particularly effective. In the case of a case or a cube, the lid member 1100
By providing ribs throughout the ink absorber 9
The ink supply from 00 can be stabilized. A rectangular parallelepiped shape is suitable for storing as much ink as possible within a limited space, but in order to use the stored ink for recording without wasting it, as mentioned above, it is necessary to It is important to provide ribs that can perform the above-mentioned action on two adjacent surface areas. Furthermore, the ink tank IT in this embodiment
The inner surface ribs are arranged in a substantially uniform distribution in the thickness direction of the rectangular parallelepiped-shaped ink absorber. This configuration is
This is an important configuration because it can equalize the atmospheric pressure distribution and almost eliminate the remaining amount of ink with respect to the ink consumption of the entire absorber. Furthermore, to explain the technical idea behind the arrangement of the ribs in detail, when an arc is drawn with the long side as the radius and centered on the projected position of the ink supply port l200 of the ink tank on the top surface of the quadrangle of the rectangular parallelepiped, It is important to arrange the ribs on the surface outside the arc so that the atmospheric pressure can be quickly applied to the absorbent body located outside the arc. In this case, the atmosphere communication port of the tank is not limited to this example, as long as it is at a position where the atmosphere can be introduced into the region where the ribs are provided.

In addition, in this example, the inkjet power cartridge I
The rear surface of the JC head is flattened to minimize the space required when incorporated into the device, and the structure maximizes the ink storage capacity, resulting in a more compact device. Not only that, but it also has an excellent structure that reduces the frequency of cartridge replacement. Then, by using the rear part of the space for integrating the inkjet unit IJU, a protruding part for the air transport port 1401 is formed there, and the inside of this protruding part is hollowed out, and the above-mentioned absorption An atmospheric pressure supply space 14o2 is formed over the entire thickness of the body 900. With this configuration, we were able to provide an excellent cartridge that has never been seen before. Note that this atmospheric pressure supply space 1402 is a much larger space than the conventional one, and the atmospheric air passage port 1401 is located above, so even if some abnormality occurs and the ink separates from the absorber, This atmospheric pressure supply space 1402 can temporarily hold the ink and ensure that the ink is collected by the absorber, so that an excellent cartridge with no waste can be provided. Further, the structure of the mounting surface of the unit IJU of the ink tank IT is shown in FIG. Assuming that L1 is a straight line passing approximately through the center of the protrusion of the orifice plate 400 and parallel to the mounting reference plane of the bottom surface of the tank IT or the surface of the carriage, 2
The two positioning protrusions l012 are on this straight line L. The height of this protrusion 1012 is slightly lower than the thickness of the support 300, and positions the support 300. In this drawing, the claw 2l00 that engages with the 90@ corner engagement surface 4002 of the carriage positioning hook 4001 is located on the extension of the straight line L1. It is configured to act in a plane region parallel to the reference plane including the reference plane. As will be described later with reference to FIG. 5, these relationships are effective because the positioning accuracy of only the ink tank is equivalent to the positioning accuracy of the ejection ports of the head.

Further, a hole 19 for fixing the support body 300 to the side surface of the ink tank is provided.
Ink tank protrusions 18 corresponding to 00 and 2000, respectively
00.1801 is longer than the above-mentioned protrusion 1012, and the part that protrudes through the support 300 is thermally fused to form the support 3.
This is for fixing 00 to its side. Let L3 be a straight line that is perpendicular to the line L1 and passes through this protrusion 1800, and L be a straight line that passes through the protrusion 1801. Since the approximate center of the supply port 1200 is located on the straight line L3, the mouth 1200 of the supply section This is a preferable configuration because it works to stabilize the connection state between the supply pipe 2200 and the supply pipe 2200, and reduces the load on the connection state even if a drop or impact occurs. Also, straight line L. ,L. do not match, and the presence of protrusions 1800 and 1801 around the protrusion 1012 on the ejection port side of the head IJH further produces a reinforcing effect in positioning the head rJH with respect to the tank. Note that the curve indicated by L4 is the outer wall position when the ink supply member 600 is attached. Since the protrusions 1800 and 1801 are along the curve L4, they provide sufficient strength and positional accuracy even for the weight of the distal end side configuration of the head IJH. Reference numeral 2700 denotes a tip collar of the ink tank IT, which is inserted into a hole in the front plate 4000 of the carriage and is provided in case of an abnormal situation where the displacement of the ink tank becomes extremely poor.

210l is a retainer for the carriage, which is provided to a bar (not shown) of the carriage HC, and is attached to a bar (not shown) of the carriage HC;
This is a protective member for maintaining the mounted state even if a force is applied in the upward direction that causes the JC to enter the lower part of the bar at the pivoted mounted position and unnecessarily disengage from the positioned position as will be described later.

The ink tank IT has a shape that surrounds the unit IJU except for the lower opening by covering it with the lid 800 after the unit IJU is installed, but the inkjet cartridge IJC has a lower opening for placing it on the carriage HC. Since it is close to the carriage HC, it forms a substantial four-sided surrounding space. Therefore, although the heat generated from the head IJH in this enclosed space is effective as a heat-retaining space, the temperature rises only slightly during long-term continuous use. For this reason, in this example, a slit 1700 with a width smaller than this space is provided on the upper surface of the cartridge IJC in order to assist the natural heat dissipation of the support, thereby preventing temperature rise and controlling the temperature distribution of the entire unit IJU. We were able to make uniformity independent of the environment.

When assembled as an inkjet cartridge IJC, ink is supplied from inside the cartridge into the supply tank 600 through the supply port 1200, the hole 320 provided in the support 300, and the introduction port provided on the inner back side of the supply tank 600. After passing through the interior thereof, the ink flows into the common liquid chamber from the outlet through an appropriate supply pipe and the ink inlet 1500 of the top plate 400. A packing made of, for example, silicone rubber or butyl rubber is disposed at the above-mentioned connection portion for ink communication, and this seals the ink supply path to ensure an ink supply path.

In this embodiment, the top plate 1300 is made of a resin having excellent ink resistance such as polysulfon, polyethersulfon, polyphenylene oxide, polypropylene, etc., and is molded together with the orifice plate portion 400 in a mold. There is.

As mentioned above, the integrally molded parts include the ink supply member 600,
Top plate and orifice plate integrated, ink tank body 1
000, which not only achieves a high level of assembly accuracy but also is extremely effective in improving quality in mass production. Furthermore, since the number of parts can be reduced compared to the prior art, excellent desired characteristics can be reliably exhibited.

In addition, in the embodiment of the present invention, in the above-mentioned shape after assembly,
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the ink supply member 6
00, the upper surface part 603 is the third one between the end part 4008 of the roof part provided with the slit 1700 of the ink tank IT.
As shown in the figure, a slit S (not shown) similar to the slit S is formed between the lower surface portion 604 and the head side end portion 4011 of the thin plate member to which the lower lid 800 of the ink tank IT is bonded. ). These slits between the ink tank IT and the ink supply member 600 substantially act to further promote heat dissipation through the slit 1700, and even if there is unnecessary pressure applied to the tank IT, it is directly removed from the supply member. If anything, this prevents the inkjet unit from affecting the JT. In any case, the above-mentioned configuration of this embodiment is a configuration that has not been seen in the past, and each of them individually provides an effective effect, and in combination, each component provides an organic configuration. ing.

(iii) Description of attaching the inkjet cartridge IJC to the carriage HC In FIG. 5, 5000 is a platen roller that guides the recording medium P from the bottom to the top of the page.

The carriage HC moves along the platen roller 3000, and has a front plate 40 located on the front side of the inkjet cartridge IJC on the front platen side of the carriage.
00 (thickness: 2 mm) and a flexible seat 4005 equipped with pads 2011 corresponding to the pads 201 of the wiring board 200 of the cartridge IJC, and for generating elastic force to press this against each pad 2011 from the back side. An electrical connection support plate 4003 that holds a rubber pad sheet 4007, and an inkjet cartridge IJ.
Positioning hook 400 for fixing C to the recording position
1 is provided. The front plate 4000 has two positioning projecting surfaces 4010 corresponding to the aforementioned positioning projections 2500 and 2600 of the cartridge support 300, respectively, and receives a vertical force toward these projecting surfaces 4010 after the cartridge is mounted. For this reason, the front plate has a plurality of reinforcing ribs (not shown) on the platen roller side facing in the direction of the perpendicular force.

This rib is located at the front position L6 when the cartridge IJC is installed.
A head protection protrusion that protrudes slightly (approximately 0.1 mm) toward the platen roller is also formed.

The electrical connection support plate 4003 has a plurality of reinforcing ribs 4004 not in the direction of the ribs but in the vertical direction, and the proportion of lateral protrusion decreases from the platen side toward the hook 4001 side. This also serves the function of tilting the position when the cartridge is installed as shown in the figure.

In addition, in order to stabilize the electrical contact state, the support plate 4003 is used to position the hook side to apply force to the cartridge in the opposite direction to the direction in which the two positioning protruding surfaces 4010 act on the cartridge. It has two surfaces 4006 corresponding to the protruding surfaces 4010, forming a pad contact area between these surfaces and uniquely defining the amount of deformation of the notch of the rubber sheet 4007 with a notch corresponding to the pad 2011. This positioning surface comes into contact with the surface of the wiring board 300 when the cartridge IJC is fixed at a recordable position. In this example, the wiring board 300
Since the pads 201 are distributed symmetrically with respect to the above-mentioned line L, the amount of deformation of each notch of the rubber seat 4007 is made uniform, and the contact pressure of the pads 2011 and 201 is made more stable. The distribution of pads 201 in this example is two rows above, two rows below, and two columns vertically. The hook 4001 has a long hole that engages with the fixed shaft 4009, and uses this long movement space to rotate counterclockwise from the position shown in the figure, and then moves to the left along the platen roller 5000. By doing so, the inkjet cartridge IJC is positioned with respect to the carriage HC. The hook 4001 may be moved in any way, but a configuration in which it can be moved using a lever or the like is preferable. In any case, when the hook 4001 rotates, the cartridge IJC moves toward the platen roller and moves to a position where the positioning projections 2500 and 2600 can come into contact with the positioning surface 4010 of the front plate, and the hook 4001 moves to the left. By 90” hook surface 4
002 is in close contact with the 90'' surface of the claw 2100 of the cartridge IJC, and the cartridge IJC is moved to the positioning surface 2500.
The pads 4010 and 2010 rotate in a horizontal plane around the contact area, and finally the pads 201 and 2011 come into contact with each other.

When the hook 4001 is held in a predetermined position, that is, a fixed position, the pads 201 and 2011 are in complete contact with each other, the positioning surfaces 2500 and 4010 are in complete surface contact, and the 90-degree surface 4002 and the 90-degree surface of the claw are in complete contact with each other. A two-surface contact and a surface contact between the wiring board 300 and the positioning surface 4006 are formed at the same time, and the cartridge IJC is moved against the carriage.
The hold is completed.

(iv) General description of the main body of the apparatus FIG. 6 shows an inkjet recording apparatus I to which the present invention is applied.
In the general view of JRA, the carriage HC that engages with the spiral groove 5004 of the lead screw 5005, which rotates via the drive force transmission gear 5011 and 5009 in conjunction with the forward and reverse rotation of the drive motor 5013, is a pin (not shown). ) and is moved back and forth in the directions of arrows a and b. Reference numeral 5002 denotes a paper holding plate that holds the paper on the platen 5 in the direction of carriage movement.
Press against 000. Reference numerals 5007 and 5008 are home position detecting means for confirming the presence of the lever 5006 of the carriage in this area using a photocoupler and switching the rotational direction of the motor 5013. Reference numeral 5016 is a member that supports a cap member 5022 that caps the front surface of the recording head, and 5015 is a suction means for suctioning the inside of this cap to perform suction recovery of the recording head through an opening 5023 in the cap. 5017 is a cleaning blade, 5
Reference numeral 019 denotes a member that allows this blade to move in the front and back direction, and these are supported by the main body support plate 50l8. Needless to say, the blade is not of this type, but a well-known cleaning blade can be applied to this example. Also, 5
012 is a lever for starting suction for arch recovery;
It moves with the movement of the cam 5020 that engages with the carriage, and the movement of the driving force from the drive motor is controlled by known transmission means such as clutch switching.

These capping, cleaning, and suction recovery are configured so that the desired processes can be performed at the corresponding positions by the action of the lead screw 5005 when the carriage comes to the home position side area, but the desired processes can be performed at the corresponding positions at well-known timing. Any of these can be applied to this example as long as they are activated. Each of the configurations described above is an excellent invention whether viewed singly or in combination, and represents a preferable configuration example for the present invention.

In order to explain in detail the present invention technically related to the above-mentioned FIGS. 2 to 6, the following description will be made with reference to FIGS. 1 and 7.

FIG. 1(A) is an exploded perspective view schematically showing an inkjet unit of the present invention. In the same figure, the number 4
00 is a top plate (ink path forming member) having a groove that forms an ink path that communicates with the ink ejection port 11, and 100 is a top plate that forms a part of the ink path and is used to generate energy used for ejecting ink. A heater board having a heater 100A as an energy generating element, code 16
00 is an ink conduit having a cantilevered structure integrally formed with an ink supply pipe 2200 that supplies ink from an ink tank to an ink receiving port 1500 of the top plate 400. The top plate 400 and the heater board 100 are in close contact with each other by a leaf spring. Ink conduit 1600 and ink supply pipe 2200
is attached to and integrally formed with the ink supply member 600 (FIG. 2), which is an exterior part of the inkjet head.

FIG. 1(B) is a schematic perspective view of an inkjet unit of the present invention. A rigid ink conduit 160 is provided at the ink receptacle 1500 portion of the top plate 400 after assembly.
The elastic force due to the deflection of 0 acts, and the ink conduit 1 600
One end of the ink receptacle 1500 is in close contact with the ink receptacle 1500. As an example, the pressure due to deflection is approximately lOO~200g
That's about it. In this manner, the ink conduit has a cantilevered structure in which one end is a free end that is pressed against the ink path forming member, and the other end is a fixed end that is fixed to the ink supply member as a base point for the pressure contact.

The ink conduit 1 600, the ink supply tube 2200, and the ink supply member 600 are integrally molded of resin (for example, polysulfon), and because it is impossible to create a complete ink supply path by molding alone due to the mold structure, they are sealed. The bottle 602 is compressed into the ink supply pipe 2200 to form an ink supply path.

When the ink supply member 600 is assembled into the inkjet cartridge, one end of the ink conduit 1 f300 and the top plate 4
It is in close contact with 00. In order to further improve the adhesion, a sealant (for example, TSE399Black (trade name, manufactured by Toshiba Silicone Corporation) may be applied to the adhesion part. may be used to simultaneously protect the wire bonding pad portion of the wire bonding pad.

The end of the ink supply tube 2200 with the filter 700 is pressed against the ink-impregnated foam in the ink tank, allowing it to draw ink from the ink tank.

Figure 7 shows the structure of the supply tank.

In this example, the supply tank 600 is formed by molding using a resin material with excellent ink resistance like the top plate 400.The ink introduction port 60 from the ink cartridge of the supply tank 600 is
The filter 700 is thermally welded to 0a and is positioned and fixed to the recording head body described above. In this example, for positioning, a positioning bottle 600b is molded in the supply tank 600 in advance, the positioning bottle is inserted into a through hole provided in the support body 300, and heat welded from the back side of the support body 300. In this example, the connection between the supply tank 600 and the filter 700, and the connection between the supply tank 600 and the support 3
00 was bonded by thermal welding, but other bonding methods may be used such as bonding using an adhesive. however,
When joining the supply tank 600 and the filter 700, the adhesive flows into the mesh of the filter 700, making it extremely difficult to secure an effective area. In this example, in the heat welding of the filter, a supply tank 600 is installed as shown in FIG.
A recess 600c for positioning the filter 700 is provided in the welded portion of the filter, and the recess 600c protects the filter 700 after welding. Therefore, there is no fear that the filter 700 will peel off even if the ink cartridge is frequently attached to and detached from the ink cartridge.

By applying the above-described ink supply unit, cartridges as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 can be obtained, and further, using this, an inkjet printer as shown in FIG. 6,
That is, an inkjet printer using disposable cartridges can be constructed.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can of course adopt various configurations.

For example, in the above example, the recording head main body, ink supply source, etc. are integrated and made disposable, but they may be separate bodies, and each of them does not necessarily have to be made disposable. In other words, even if the recording head body is fixed and cannot be easily replaced,
This is because configuring it simply and inexpensively as described above also contributes to lowering the cost of the blink body.

Further, regarding the recording head body consisting of the heater board 100 and the top plate 400, in the above example, the recesses for forming the ink flow path and the common liquid chamber were provided only on the top plate side, but these may be provided on both sides.

The present invention provides excellent effects particularly in bubble jet recording heads and recording apparatuses among ink jet recording systems.

As for typical configurations and principles thereof, it is preferable to use the basic principles disclosed in, for example, US Pat. No. 4,723,129 and US Pat. No. 4,740,796. This method can be applied to both the so-called on-demand type and the continuous type, but especially in the case of the on-demand type, the inks are arranged in correspondence with the sheet holding the liquid (ink) and the liquid path. In the electrothermal converter,
By applying at least one drive signal corresponding to recorded information and providing a rapid temperature rise above nucleate boiling, the electrothermal transducer generates thermal energy to cause film boiling on the thermally active surface of the recording head. As a result, bubbles in the liquid (ink) can be formed in one-to-one correspondence with this drive signal, which is effective. The growth and contraction of the bubble causes liquid (ink) to be ejected through the ejection opening to form at least one drop. It is more preferable to use this drive signal in a pulse form, since the growth and contraction of bubbles can be carried out immediately and appropriately, so that ejection of liquid (ink) with particularly excellent responsiveness can be achieved. As this pulse-shaped drive signal, those described in US Pat. No. 4,463,359 and US Pat. No. 4,345,262 are suitable. Incidentally, U.S. Patent No. 431 for the invention regarding the temperature increase rate of the heat acting surface
If the conditions described in specification No. 3124 are adopted,
Even better recording can be performed.

The configuration of the recording head includes, in addition to the combined configuration of ejection ports, liquid paths, and electrothermal converters (straight liquid flow path or right-angled liquid flow path) as disclosed in the above-mentioned specifications, a heat acting section. US Pat. No. 4,558,333 and US Pat. No. 4,459,600 disclose a configuration in which the
The present invention also includes a configuration using the specification of the above specification.

In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 123670 of 1982 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge part for a plurality of electrothermal converters, and a hole that absorbs pressure waves of thermal energy is disclosed. The present invention is also effective as a configuration based on Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 138461 of 1982, which discloses a configuration in which the discharge portion corresponds to the discharge portion.

Furthermore, as a full-line type recording head having a length corresponding to the width of the maximum recording medium that can be recorded by the recording apparatus, the length can be increased by combining multiple recording heads as disclosed in the above-mentioned specification. Either a configuration that satisfies the above requirements or a configuration as a single recording head formed integrally may be used, but the present invention can more effectively exhibit the above-mentioned effects.

In addition, a replaceable chip-type recording head that is attached to the device body enables electrical connection to the device body and ink supply from the device body, or a chip-type recording head that is installed integrally with the recording head itself. The present invention is also effective when a cartridge type recording head is used.

Further, it is preferable to add recovery means, preliminary auxiliary means, etc. for the recording head, which are provided as a configuration of the recording apparatus of the present invention, because the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. Specifically, these include preheating means for the recording head using a caving means, a cleaning means, a pressurizing or suction means, an electrothermal transducer or another heating element, or a combination thereof. It is also effective to perform a preliminary ejection mode in which ejection is performed separately from printing in order to perform stable printing.

Furthermore, the recording mode of the recording device is not limited to a recording mode in which only the mainstream color such as black is used; the recording head may be constructed integrally or by a combination of multiple heads; The present invention is also extremely effective for devices equipped with at least one full color image. [Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention configured as described above, ■ Since a flexible tube is not required, the step of joining the tubes is not required, and since there is no need for a flexible tube, costs can be reduced. be able to.

■Since the ink conduit has a cantilever structure, by deforming the ink conduit, the ink conduit can be brought into close contact with the heater board, not only against the top plate but also by holding the top plate. Therefore, it is possible to prevent ink from leaking from those joints and air from entering.

■By installing a filter so that the end face of the ink inlet port does not face the outside, it is possible to ensure a good ink supply without contamination by dust.

It is possible to provide an inkjet unit, an inkjet cartridge, and an inkjet device that have excellent effects such as the following.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1(A) and FIG. 1(B) are an exploded perspective view and an assembled perspective view, respectively, showing an inkjet cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an example of an inkjet cartridge according to the present invention, Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view of an inkjet cartridge according to the invention, and Fig. 4 shows an ink tank of the inkjet cartridge on the side where an inkjet recording head is attached. 5 is a top view showing how the inkjet cartridge is mounted on the carriage of the main body of the inkjet cartridge, FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing the inkjet recording device according to the present invention, and FIG. 7 is the present invention FIG. 2 is a schematic front view and a partially cutaway view schematically showing a part of the configuration of an ink supply section of an inkjet unit according to the present invention. 1600... Ink conduit 2200... Ink supply pipe Z4θρ L3 /3ρl? /l/

Claims (9)

[Claims] (1) An ink path communicating with an ejection port for ejecting ink is formed by joining the base body and an ink path forming member, and the ink path is connected to an opening at one end of the ink conduit by an ink conduit. Ink is supplied through an ink receptacle provided in a path forming member, and one end of the ink conduit is a free end that is pressed against the ink path forming member, and the other end is fixed as a base point for the pressing. An inkjet unit characterized by having a cantilever structure with a fixed end. (2) Claim (1) characterized in that the liquid path is provided with an electrothermal converter as a thermal energy generating means for generating thermal energy used for ejecting ink from the ejection port. Inkjet unit described in. (3) The inkjet unit according to claim 1, wherein one end of the ink conduit is sealed with a sealant to the ink path forming member. (4) An ink path communicating with an ejection port for ejecting ink is formed by joining the base body and an ink path forming member, and the liquid path is connected to an opening at one end of the ink conduit by an ink conduit. Ink is supplied through an ink receptacle provided in a path forming member, and the ink conduit has a cantilever structure in which one end is pressed against the ink path forming member and the other end is fixed as a base point for the pressing. An inkjet cartridge comprising: an ink tank with which the other end of the ink conduit communicates. (5) Claim (4) characterized in that the liquid path is provided with an electrothermal converter as a thermal energy generating means for generating thermal energy used for ejecting ink from the ejection port. The inkjet cartridge described in. (6) The inkjet cartridge according to claim 4, wherein one end of the ink conduit is sealed with a sealant to the ink path forming member. (7) An ink path communicating with an ejection port for ejecting ink is formed by joining the base body and an ink path forming member, and the ink path is connected to an opening at one end of the ink conduit by an ink conduit. Ink is supplied through an ink receptacle provided in a path forming member, and the ink conduit has a cantilever structure in which one end is pressed against the ink path forming member and the other end is fixed as a base point for the pressing. An inkjet apparatus comprising: an inkjet cartridge having an ink tank with which the other end of the ink conduit communicates; and a carriage for mounting the inkjet cartridge. (8) Claim (7) characterized in that the liquid path is provided with an electrothermal converter as a thermal energy generating means for generating thermal energy used for ejecting ink from the ejection port. The inkjet device described in . (9) The ink jet device according to claim (7), wherein one end of the ink conduit is sealed with a sealant with respect to the ink path forming member.